The ''Atlante'' was a 74-gun ship of the line of the Spanish Navy. She was acquired by France in 1801 and commissioned in the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

, being renamed to ''Atlas'' in 1803, serving in Santo Domingo and taking part in the Battle of Cape Finisterre. She was captured in Vigo at the outbreak of the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

Career

''Atlante'' was built in

Cartagena, Spain Cartagena () is a Spanish city and a major naval station on the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Iberia. As of January 2018, it has a population of 218,943 inhabitants, being the region's second-largest municipality and the country's sixth-lar ...

by expatriate English designer Edward Bryant, and launched in 1754. In August 1801, on the background of the

War of the Second Coalition The War of the Second Coalition (1798/9 – 1801/2, depending on periodisation) was the second war on revolutionary France by most of the European monarchies, led by Britain, Austria and Russia, and including the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, N ...

, Spain ceded her to her ally France. ''Atlante'' was brought into French service and commissioned in Cádiz on 23 September 1801. In April 1802, she transferred to Toulon. On 20 June 1802, Captain Lavillesgris took command, and in August, she departed Toulon under to ferry troops to

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

, returning on 27 October. She performed another trip in January 1803, ferrying 750 soldiers and General

Jean Sarrazin Jean Sarrazin (15 August 1770 – 11 November 1848) was a French general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Born at Penne, Sarrazin joined the dragoons at sixteen and was rapidly promoted after 1792. He became adjutant-general of the ...

. ''Atlante'' was renamed to ''Atlas'' on 4 February 1803. She took part in the Battle of Cape Finisterre under Captain

Rolland Rolland is a surname and masculine given name which may refer to: Surname * Alain Rolland (born 1966), former Irish rugby union footballer and current international referee * Andy Rolland (born 1943), Scottish former footballer * Antonin Rolland ...

, who sustained spectacular injuries when a powder reserve exploded near him. Moored in Vigo as a hospital ship after the battle, she was captured there by the Spanish on 9 June 1808 after the outbreak of the

Citations

References

* Ships of the line of the French Navy Ships of the line of the Spanish Navy Ships built in Spain 1754 ships {{France-line-ship-stub